FLAIR '26: Fashion Law, AI and Innovation Review Legal Writing Competition (Cash Prizes, Publication and Editorial Internships)

Fashion Law, AI & Innovation Review (FLAIR) is the inaugural edition of a legal writing competition organised by the Law & Technology Committee, School of Law, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), in collaboration with the Fashion Law Journal. Conceived as an annual flagship initiative, FLAIR seeks to foster meaningful discourse at the intersection of fashion, law and emerging technologies.

The competition gives law students across the country a platform to engage with contemporary legal and regulatory developments through Research Articles, Case Analyses and Case Studies. By encouraging interdisciplinary scholarship on issues such as intellectual property, artificial intelligence, digital commerce, sustainability and technological innovation, FLAIR aims to promote critical thinking, academic excellence and legal research in this evolving field.

Through publication opportunities and editorial internships with the Fashion Law Journal, FLAIR 2026 seeks to bridge academic scholarship with practical exposure, while cultivating a new generation of legal thinkers in the domain of Fashion Law and Technology. The competition is conducted entirely online.

CHRIST (Deemed to be University) was established as Christ College in 1969 and is administered by the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI). It is a multidisciplinary university offering Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral programmes to about 25,000 students across seven campuses, four of them in Bengaluru, along with Delhi NCR and Pune Lavasa off campuses.

School of Law, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru was one of the first institutions in India to be accredited by NAAC in 1998, and the University received the top grade A+ in NAAC in 2022. SLCU was ranked among the best colleges in India in the Law category in the NIRF Rankings declared by the Ministry of Education in 2023, and its courses are approved by the Bar Council of India.

• Law & Technology Committee, SLCU: the Committee works at the intersection of law and technology, covering Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Data Protection, Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) Law, FinTech and Digital Privacy through webinars, seminars, panel discussions, workshops, research initiatives and specialised competitions. It also runs the bi-annual newsletter GIZMO and the Committee website.
• Fashion Law Journal (FLJ): an academic platform dedicated to research and scholarship in Fashion Law, covering intellectual property, artificial intelligence, sustainability, consumer protection, e-commerce, luxury brands and global regulatory developments in the fashion industry.

Theme: Fashion Law & Technology: Regulating Innovation in a Digital World

The following sub-themes are merely indicative, and participants are free to explore any topic falling within the broader theme.

• Artificial Intelligence and Fashion Design
• Intellectual Property in Fashion
• Counterfeit Goods and Brand Protection
• Fashion Influencers and Digital Advertising
• Blockchain and Supply Chain Transparency
• Data Privacy in Fashion E-Commerce
• Digital Fashion and the Metaverse
• Sustainability and Greenwashing
• Smart Wearables and Consumer Protection
• Emerging Regulatory Challenges in Fashion Technology

Participation is open to students currently enrolled at any recognised law school or university in India, specifically:

• Undergraduate law students pursuing a Five-Year Integrated LL.B. programme
• Undergraduate law students pursuing a Three-Year LL.B. programme
• Postgraduate law students pursuing an LL.M. programme

The official brochure and the submission guidelines do not set out a co-authorship rule. Participants intending to submit jointly should confirm the position with the organising committee at techlaw@law.christuniversity.in before submitting.

Participants may submit one original manuscript under any one of the following categories.

• Research Article: a well-researched and analytical examination of a contemporary legal issue within the broader theme, offering original arguments, critical insights and practical or doctrinal perspectives.
• Case Analysis: a critical examination of a judicial decision, legislative development or regulatory action, evaluating its legal reasoning, implications and significance within the evolving landscape of Fashion Law and Technology.
• Legal Case Study: an in-depth analysis of a specific legal framework, regulatory regime, policy, protection mechanism, industry practice or emerging issue, examining its practical application, challenges, comparative approaches and broader legal implications.

Word limit: 800 to 1,200 words, excluding footnotes and references.

Structure: manuscripts shall be well-structured with clear and appropriate headings and sub-headings, facilitating logical flow, readability and effective presentation of arguments.

• Submissions must be original and unpublished.
• Manuscripts must not be under consideration for publication or review elsewhere at the time of submission.
• Any form of plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, shall result in immediate disqualification.
• AI-assisted tools may be used only for language refinement. The legal analysis, arguments, research and conclusions must be the author's own original work, and participants remain solely responsible for the accuracy and originality of their submissions.
• The maximum permissible similarity index is 10 per cent, excluding references, quotations and commonly used legal terminology. Similarity is assessed using plagiarism detection software.
• Any submission found to contain plagiarism or copyright infringement shall be rejected without further review.
• The Organising Committee reserves the right to reject submissions that do not comply with the guidelines.

• File format: Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx)
• Font: Times New Roman or Garamond
• Font size: main text 12 pt, footnotes 10 pt
• Line spacing: main text 1.5, footnotes single
• Margins: 1 inch on all sides
• Text alignment: justified

Citation style: participants may follow Bluebook (21st Edition), any other recognised legal citation style, or use hyperlinked references, provided the chosen method is consistent throughout the manuscript. A list of references, bibliography or works cited may be included wherever applicable. All sources must be accurately cited and participants are responsible for proper attribution of all referenced material.

The competition follows a double-blind review process. The manuscript must not contain the name of the author, institutional affiliation, acknowledgements or any information that may reveal the identity of the author. Author details are collected separately through the registration form.

The review consists of preliminary screening for compliance with the submission guidelines, plagiarism assessment, double-blind review by the Editorial Review Panel, and final evaluation. The decision of the Editorial Review Panel is final and binding. Any communication regarding edits, revisions, clarifications or re-submission of manuscripts will be conveyed to participants by the Organising Committee via email.

Submissions are assessed on the following parameters:

• Originality and Innovation
• Research Quality
• Legal Analysis and Critical Reasoning
• Structure, Clarity and Organisation
• Relevance to Theme
• Citation and Formatting

Neither the official brochure nor the official submission guidelines state any registration or submission fee for FLAIR '26.

• Register and submit through the official Google registration form linked below. A Google account sign-in is required to open the form.
• Author details are supplied through the registration form only, and must be kept out of the manuscript itself.
• The last date for submission is 15 August 2026, and results are declared on 28 August 2026.
• All communication and clarifications are deemed valid only if made by email to techlaw@law.christuniversity.in.